Before her son competed against Caribbean rivals in the Olympic 100m final on Sunday night, Noah Lyles’ mother displayed the flags of both America and Jamaica on her fingernails.
This gesture was a tribute to Lyles’ girlfriend, Junelle Bromfield, a Jamaican athlete also participating in the Paris Games.
Lyles clinched his first Olympic gold medal, narrowly defeating Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by a mere 0.005 seconds in a nail-biting finish.
After the race, he rushed to celebrate with his girlfriend and mother, who had showcased her colorful nails prior to the event.
Her right hand featured the stars and stripes of the U.S., while her left hand proudly displayed the Jamaican flag.
Noah Lyles’ mom carried the flags of America and Jamaica on her fingernails over the weekend
The Olympic 100m champion is dating Bromfield, who is competing in the 400m in Paris
“I’m set to support @JunelleBromfield and @TeamJamaica tonight, as well as @TeamUSA and @nojo18 (Lyles) this morning. Let’s do this!”
Bromfield participated in the mixed 4x400m relay on Saturday, where Jamaica finished fifth. She is scheduled to compete in the individual 400m heats on Monday.
On Sunday, Caine Bishop was flooded with emotions following her son’s historic gold medal performance in the men’s 100m final.
Lyles completed the race in 9.79 seconds, then shared a touching moment with his family. He ran to embrace his mom, who exclaimed, ‘You did it. Oh my god, you’re so phenomenal.’
Lyles celebrates with Bromfield after taking 100m gold in a dramatic final on Sunday
Keisha Caine Bishop was overcome with emotion after her son’s win at Stade de France
She went on to say, ‘Oh my god, you’re so blessed, I’m incredibly proud of you. I’m so proud…’
Lyles also took the time to hug Bromfield and his sister, Abby, before heading back to the track to continue celebrating.
“This is the one I wanted; it was a tough battle with amazing competitors,” Lyles stated.
“Everyone came prepared for the fight, and I aimed to show that I’m the top contender, the wolf among wolves.”
Defending Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs from Italy placed fifth with a time of 9.85 seconds. Lyles is now aiming for more gold in the 200m and relay events.
